Corfu

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A large island in the Ionian Sea off the northwestern coast of Greece, known for its old town and Venetian fortress
2. An island of western Greece in the Ionian Sea, famous for its historic architecture and sandy coastlines
3. A Greek island lying in the Ionian Sea near Albania, celebrated for its Venetian-era buildings and scenic beaches

Etymology: The island's name comes from a peak, not a person or a people. The Ancient Greek name Κορυφώ (Koruphṓ) is related to κορυφή (koruphḗ), "summit" or "mountain peak", and the name is traced to the twin peaks of the island's Old Fortress, which rise above the old town. Greek speakers were naming the place for the high ground that dominated the coast. English took the name through Italian, where the island became Corfù. The Italian form, rather than the Greek, is the one that reached English, which is why the spelling and the stress differ from the original. The modern Greek name, Kerkyra, is a separate word with its own history and is not a form of this one.